The works are the second package on the project to be tendered. The ministry recently received bids from 10 companies for the first package on the project, covering initial earthworks.

The low bidder for the contract is the local Desert Line Projects with a price of RO27m ($70m).

The other bidders are:

• National Construction & Trading, Al-Shanfri Trading Company, Galfar Engineering & Contracting (all local);

• India’s Gammon International with Oman Holdings;

• Iran’s Ariane Infrastructure Development;

• Athens-based Consolidated Contractors International Company (CCC);

• Qatar Building Company;

• South Korea's Daewoo Engineering & Construction;

• Turkey’s Erenport Group.

The airport is part of a larger plan to expand transport infrastructure at Duqm, which has a number of major projects including a new port and industrial zone together with residential and tourism developments (MEED 29:5:08).